


Memory Lane

by CloversDreams



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aged up characters, Black Clover Week, Day 3, Dragon!Leopold, Dragon!Yuno, Established Relationship, Fantasy AU, Friends to Friendly Rivals to Boyfriends, M/M, Multi, a touch of drama, asta and yuno are still childhood friends, dragons are big scaly cats, fluff because they deserve it, leo is overly affectionate, these dorks are so in love, you cant change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 14:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20676983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: Asta turned his head to watch them go. He took note of the way that Leopold had calmed right down and the end of his tail hooked around Yuno’s. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. Things sure had changed over the years. He was glad it had been for the better. Once they were out of sight he finally let himself plop onto the ground and let out a soft sigh. He removed the broadsword from his back then set it next to himself. He laid down and watched the clouds slowly float by.One would probably think that traveling with a dragon would be chaotic in this day and age. The thought made him snicker a bit. People should trydatingtwo. It wasn’t boring, he could say that for certain. Asta never knew what the next day would bring with the pair around and it kept things rather exciting. OK, it was pretty chaotic too, but he rather liked that aspect.[Or Asta reminisces about what lead him to have two dragon bfs]





	Memory Lane

Asta grunted softly when he finally let the wild boar he’d been carrying slide off his shoulders. It landed on the grass with a soft thud. He wasted no time and quickly dusted himself off. Asta looked up from the carcass and into the cave he stood outside of expectantly. It was too dark to see anything. No fire seemed to be lit within. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, “I’m back and I brought food!”

A sudden gust of wind burst from the cave. It swirled all around both Asta and the boar. It continued to dance around them as a monotone voice rumbled from within the cave, “Is that it? You should’ve let me do the hunting.”

“Hey! This is a big boar!” Asta immediately shrieked. He motioned towards the animal on the ground and added, “I did a great job with nothing but the sword on my back and the muscles I worked so hard on strengthening!”

A pair of large, amber eyes appeared in the darkness of the cave and blinked at him. There was silence for a moment as they watched one another. The ground beneath Asta’s feet vibrated when the beast within began to approach him. It stepped out into the sunlight and yawned then stretched lazily. The whole thing reminded Asta of a cat. A really large, ridiculously powerful, scaly cat.

He had a little half-smile on his face as he watched the dragon with scales as white as the purest snow. It was always such a sight to watch how those white scales shined in comparison to the black accent ones it had on its feet, tail, and back. The half-circle of small golden horns atop the left side of its head always reminded Asta of a crown. All in all, the dragon was breathtaking. Not that he’d ever say that and give the guy reason to be any cockier than he already was.

“You certainly are proud of a pretty pathetic showing,” The dragon snorted. It gave Asta a look as it waited for him to defend himself.

Asta took the bait. He waved his fist in the air and shouted, “I’d like to see you lift this thing in your human form, Yuno! You should be impressed by my feat of strength! I know Leo would be… wait! where _is_ Leo?”

Yuno didn’t seem very interested in his own explanation. He turned his head and watched some birds fly out of a nearby tree as he replied, “He wandered off a while ago. Chasing a butterfly or something, I dunno. I was busy trying to sleep.”

“We lost him for a good six hours last time he did that…” Asta sighed to himself. He rubbed the back of his head as he contemplated whether or not they should just start their search now. The quicker they did the quicker they’d be able to eat, after all.

“Welcome back Astaaaa!” An enthusiastic shriek came from above.

Asta watched Yuno take a single step to the right. With his large legs that made for quite a bit of distance from where he’d just been standing. Asta craned his neck upwards and barely had a chance to yelp before a red dragon landed atop him. This wasn’t the first time he found himself thankful that dragon bellies didn’t touch the ground. He would’ve been flattened into a pancake on the spot if they did. There was an amused gleam in Leopold’s green eyes as he bent his head so he could look down at him.

Unfortunately for the dragon above him, Asta knew his greatest weakness by now. A grin spread across his face and he reached up with both hands then tickled the orange underbelly above himself. Leopold immediately began to laugh and wriggle above him. The dragon hopped away to make his hasty retreat and regroup elsewhere. Asta sat upright and continued to grin, quite proud of himself.

“No fair! I couldn’t fight back in this form!” Leopold exclaimed as smoke wisps danced from his nostrils. Not if he wanted Asta to keep breathing, anyway. He grunted and shook his head.

“That was your own fault!” Asta laughed. He stood up and dusted himself off as the dragon grumbled that it wasn’t a loss it was a tie.

Leopold's gaze fell to the boar on the ground and he immediately lit back up again. He smiled a toothy grin and exclaimed, “Great catch! I’ll cook it for ya!”

Yuno took a single step backwards right before a column of fire crossed his path. Asta’s surprised yelp could be heard even over the roar of the flames. He blinked as he waited for the flames to finally die down. Once they did and the smoke cleared, he shook his head. As expected, the beast was completely charred.

“Aw, man!” Asta yelped.

“Whoops,” Leopold laughed softly. He gave the other two his best innocent look and then beamed at them and said, “Oh well!”

Leopold nudged Asta with the tip of his snout. The force of the gentle push made him stumble a bit but he caught himself. He turned and smiled as he reached out to pet him. The red dragon’s tail swayed behind him and he shut his eyes then hummed contently when he received the pats he wanted right between the burnt gold horns atop his head.

All dragons had golden horns, no matter the color of their scales. Though the shade, as well as size and shape, did vary between the different species. That didn’t make them any less sought after, however. It took a brave person to try and hunt a dragon for their horns. Perhaps it’d be more accurate to say it took a stupid person to do such a thing. Most of the time they ended up the dragon’s next meal instead.

Asta didn’t have any sympathy for people like that. Anyone that would want to harm such an incredible creature for sport or bragging rights was a bad person in his book. They only got what was coming to them if they didn’t return from that venture in one piece. Good riddance.

He turned and looked at Yuno when he felt a soft nudge against his back. He smiled and used his free hand to pat the other dragon as well. The low rumble of approval that emanated from the both of them reminded him of a purr. Yep, they were just like big ol’ lovable cats.

“You two can be so ridiculous,” Asta laughed.

Yuno would’ve replied but he was thwarted by Leopold suddenly licking his cheek. He turned and watched the red dragon hop away from him then crouch low. Leopold wiggled his hindquarters playfully, as if he was about to pounce, and snapped his jaw at him. “Fight me!”

“We can’t right now, Leo. We need to go catch something to replace the food you ruined,” Yuno reminded him, not even remotely threatened by his supposedly ferocious stance.

Asta couldn’t help but let out an irritated groan. He’d just gotten back from all that. He was tired. At the same time he couldn’t let either of these full-blooded dragons think that he wasn’t up for it. They’d never let him live it down.

Leopold tilted his head and blinked his large, green eyes at them. “What do you mean ruined? I’ve eaten stuff way more charred than that.”

“Why do you sound like you’re bragging…” Yuno sighed. He shook his head at the ridiculous notion.

“Fire dragons like the taste of char,” Leopold declared. He stood proudly and added, “Eating it builds character. That’s what my sister used to tell me.”

Yuno rolled his eyes then muttered, “Of course she would, she’s out of her mind.”

“A contest!” Asta shrieked for no apparent reason. Both dragons turned towards him and tilted their heads. They simply blinked as they waited for him to explain himself. Asta pointed at them each in turn then yelled, “I hereby challenge you both to try and catch a better boar than the one I did! The catch is that you have to do it in your human forms!”

Leopold wiggled excitedly then tilted his head upwards and shot a fireball into the air. He had a grin on his face when he looked back down at Asta. He shifted into his human form and pumped his fist in the air as he yelled, “A challenge from my rival! I accept!”

“How tedious…” Yuno sighed. He shifted forms as well then cracked his neck and wandered back into the cave. He returned a few moments later fully clothed and holding another outfit. His gaze shifted to the very naked Leopold that was laughing loudly as he hugged a flustered Asta. Yuno cleared his throat to get their attentions then tossed the clothing at the redhead and said, “Get dressed. You know the rules.”

“Humans and their overly complicated clothing will never make sense,” Leopold grumbled to himself as he fiddled with the garments. The moment he tried to pull them over his head they got stuck on his horns and he let out an annoyed grunt.

“Leo, Leo, hold on.” Asta attempted to help but the redhead had started to struggle and only seemed to get even more tangled up in the fabric somehow. In the end the pair managed to pull the clothes back off of him and Leopold hissed at them. Asta snickered to himself then held them up to show him– for what had to be the millionth time by now– that these were the kinds of clothes that didn’t need to be pulled over one’s head.

Asta draped the fabric over Leopold’s shoulders and pulled it closed around front. Then he tied it off. One quick inspection of the back later, to make sure the red tail was unobstructed, and they were good to go. Leopold tossed his arm around Asta’s shoulders and thanked him for the assistance then nuzzled his cheek. Both of them grinned at their other companion.

Yuno chose to ignore the fact that his own tail swayed just a bit at the sight of their goofy smiles. He crossed his arms and tilted his head which made the half-crown of golden horns atop it gleam in the sunlight. He tapped his foot impatiently then sighed, “Finally ready to do this? Asta can wait here and see if any bit of his boar is salvageable.”

Leopold pumped a fist in the air and yelled, “I was born ready!”

Asta was about to agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment when Yuno walked right up to him. As soon as Asta turned to look at him, the amber-eyed man bent down and kissed him. Asta’s eyes widened and as soon as Yuno pulled away he squeaked, “What was that for!”

A mischievous gleam shined in Yuno’s normally cold eyes. His amusement was written all over his face as he hummed, “With any luck, it’ll help you grow taller.”

“Yuno that was mean! He’s perfectly pint-sized!” Leopold immediately interjected on Asta’s behalf.

“Looks like you need one too,” Yuno turned and kissed the redhead. When he pulled away his amusement at his own antics was loud and clear.

“That’s it! Fight me! Let's go!” Leopold exclaimed. His magic flared up and the surrounding area began to swelter with the force of it.

Asta made a sound and took a step back. He instinctively put a hand on the sword at his waist. Of course this wasn’t with any ill intent. It was all about self-preservation. Magic canceling items were very handy when one traveled with a pair of hotheaded dragons. Sometimes they didn’t realize just how much power they put into their spells. It was better to be safe than sorry.

“Maybe after we both catch better boars than Asta’s little pipsqueak.” Yuno pat Leopold on the head. He wasn’t at all fazed by his show of power. Instead, he took the redhead’s hand in his and pulled him in the direction of the nearby forest.

Asta turned his head to watch them go. He took note of the way that Leopold had calmed right down and the end of his tail hooked around Yuno’s. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. Things sure had changed over the years. He was glad it had been for the better. Once they were out of sight he finally let himself plop onto the ground and let out a soft sigh. He removed the broadsword from his back then set it next to himself. He laid down and watched the clouds slowly float by.

One would probably think that traveling with a dragon would be chaotic in this day and age. The thought made him snicker a bit. People should try _dating_ two. It wasn’t boring, he could say that for certain. Asta never knew what the next day would bring with the pair around and it kept things rather exciting. OK, it was pretty chaotic too, but he rather liked that aspect.

He and Yuno both grew up at the same orphanage together. Though the dark-haired boy usually preferred to stay in his human form to blend in better with the others, he did stand out. Anyone with horns and a tail would in a place for humans. That didn’t stop them from forming a bond.

The two of them became great friends over the years. For most of his life Asta had no clue why the former crybaby of a dragon wanted to be around him all the time. It wasn’t until he happened upon a secret about himself that he finally understood.

During his early teenage years, Asta discovered that he was also part dragon. Half shadow dragon to be precise. As incredible as that was to discover, he also found out that his human side was the dominant one. That meant he couldn’t full-on transform or use any magic like other dragons could. Hybrids weren’t common and they were frowned upon in many places. There was about a fifty-fifty chance that if he were to let his secret slip he’d be met with disgust from small minded people.

Still, Asta made the best of the situation and learned to harness what he could of his newly discovered heritage. It made lots of sense that even if Yuno didn’t understand it at the time, he wanted to be around someone that was a bit more like himself than the full-blooded humans. He’d probably smelled it on Asta and had no idea.

Their friendship was ever changing over the years. A healthy rivalry grew between them and they constantly challenged one another to push past their limits and better themselves. They were quite the inseparable duo. They left the orphanage together around the age of fifteen and started their grand tour of the world. It was huge and the two of them wanted to see as much of it as they possibly could. Neither of them really had a plan but they were pretty good about winging it.

Asta couldn’t exactly say when it was that Yuno started to look at him differently. He was the first one to admit he’d been an extra aloof meathead in those days. Working out and getting stronger was pretty much the only thing on his mind. When he finally did notice those tender gazes and soft smiles reserved only for him, it was like a floodgate opened. Of course that lead to a whole mess in which he denied the feelings within himself because there had to be a different, more logical explanation for them. He even tried to close himself off from Yuno. He didn’t know what else to do about the strange new emotions.

That hadn’t gone over well. It would’ve been one thing had the guy gotten mad and challenged him to a fight, but no. Ever the stoic seventeen-year-old he’d grown into, Yuno didn’t say a word about it. He simply looked disappointed for the better part of two weeks. Not too long after that, Yuno made a decision. There was a sadness in his eyes on the afternoon that he explained he’d decided it was time for them to part ways and he wanted to continue his adventure on his own.

That conversation also didn’t go over well. Only this time, it _did_ lead to a physical altercation because Asta was as hotheaded as ever. Not that it was his fault. He couldn’t even fathom breaking up a team a lifetime in the making over something as stupid as feelings. So he did the only thing he could think of in the moment. He challenged Yuno. Winner got a free pass to say anything they wanted to the other without consequence.

Asta still speculated about that fight to this day a whole three years later. Had Yuno really been out to win he would’ve transformed. That would’ve cut Asta’s chances of victory by something like eighty percent. He was tough, but he was only human. A full-on dragon could stomp him into nothing with minimal effort. Maybe Yuno never had any intention of fighting him for real. Maybe he just wanted to hear what it was that Asta had to say. Or maybe he was too heartbroken at the idea of being rejected to put up a good fight. Asta didn’t know. Silly teenage him hadn’t ever thought to ask.

All he knew was that it didn’t really matter what he’d _intended_ to say after he won because that wasn’t what he _did_ say. He remembered the moment clearly. He had Yuno pinned to the ground and the tip of his sword aimed at his throat. His breaths came in deep pants after all the effort it took to dodge wind attacks so he could get close enough to have an advantage. Adrenaline still pumped through him as his heart continued to race. Because of the exertion from the fight. Yeah.

Asta realized that Yuno wouldn’t look at him. He didn’t even try and struggle, as if he had no will to fight, which was unlike him. Well, he’d won and that meant he got to say one thing he wanted without consequence. In the end it felt like Asta was a passenger in his own body as he heard his voice say something he didn’t expect at all.

_“I think I like you!”_

Asta slapped his hand over his face and chuckled at the memory. It was still embarrassing all these years later and probably always would be. Yuno had been so shocked by the declaration at the time that Asta swore that he actually saw his soul leave his body. He let out a soft sigh and slid his hand down his face. Ah, well, things all worked out in the end. After that the two of them were back to being the duo they’d always been and more. That was all he could ever want. Things were practically perfect. He watched a cloud that sort of looked like a lion float by and couldn’t help but think about Leopold. Ah. That was an entirely different story.

The three of them met by chance one day when he and Yuno stopped by a town that was hosting a festival. They didn’t know anything about it going in but once they took a look around they realized something. From the looks of it, and the welcome they’d received, the people there all worshiped dragons.

Yuno got fawned over and showered with compliments while Asta was practically shoved aside and ignored. Not that such was really any different than how they’d grown up, but honestly it was rude. They’d planned on making a date out of the visit, after all. Next thing he knew, Yuno was being dragged off by a group of insistent villagers.

As he was lead away, Asta heard murmurs about taking Yuno ‘to meet them’. Oh well. They could meet back up after the hype died down a bit. He knew that the dragon could take care of himself. Also, they’d both have a story or two to share over dinner later. Asta wandered the festival on his own to see if he could better understand the townspeople.

From what he could gather, the people held all dragons in high regard. However, there was a specific family of them that they actually worshiped and paid tribute to during festivals. Evidently the Vermillions had kept their town safe for generations. That was probably who they’d brought Yuno to see. He chuckled at the thought of him having to attempt to socialize. Poor guy was terrible at that kind of thing.

He wandered aimlessly until he came upon a crowd. They’d all gathered around a stage from what he could tell. He couldn’t exactly see. Even on his tippy toes he could only barely make out the tops of two scaly red heads with golden horns atop them. He guessed those were the dragons in question. Man, he wished he could see what was going on over there.

Asta felt someone bump into his back. He turned to apologize for being in their way but ended up letting out a most undignified squeak when he was suddenly face to face with yet another red dragon. Its large, green eyes looked him over then it sniffed him curiously. There was something he could only describe as wonderment in its eyes when it finally looked at him again.

The red dragon crouched low on its haunches and exclaimed, “You smell interesting! What’s that sword? Oh, you have two! Are you a warrior? Let’s fight!”

“I’m, uh… wait, what?” It was too much for Asta to process. This grinning dragon was absolutely serious about the fight thing. He could tell by the smoke tendrils that escaped its nostrils. It could attack at a moment’s notice.

The dragon leaned as far into his personal space as possible without them actually touching and exclaimed, “I’m Leopold! What’s your name!”

“A-Asta!” He yelled.

“Nice to meet you, A-Asta the Warrior!” Leopold yelled right back.

Asta shook his head. “Huh? No, it’s just Asta. I’m no warrior.”

“Now, now, there’s no need to be humble.” The red dragon sniffed then looked him over. He studied the broadsword upon his back then said, “I can tell that you’re strong. I respect those that train hard to better themselves.”

Asta smiled like an idiot and rubbed the back of his head. “I guess that much is true, heh.”

A booming voice that practically caused the air around them to vibrate with its intensity interrupted their conversation when it yelled, “Leopold, where’d you run off to! Come meet our guest!”

The red dragon stiffened then stood up tall and turned towards the sound of the voice. He made a split-second decision that their conversation wasn’t quite over yet. He wrapped his tail around Asta and lifted him off his feet. He’d decided to bring him along to where he’d been summoned. He laughed loudly at the muffled protests and way Asta struggled in his grip then assured him that everything was all right.

Luckily for him, their destination was a mere few steps away for the likes of a dragon. Asta was carried onto the stage then placed on his feet, where he stood dazed for a moment. Everything had just happened so fast he didn’t know how to react. He had to crane his neck upwards to really understand the situation for what it was.

Before him stood two enormous red dragons with orange accents. The large, golden horns atop their heads gave off a sense of regality like he’d never seen before. They looked a lot like the smaller dragon that had brought him over to the stage, but more mature. It was a lot to process.

“Close your mouth, you look ridiculous.”

Asta did as he was instructed. Wait a minute, he knew that voice. He tore his gaze from the dragons that towered over him and looked over at Yuno. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Asta watched as the smaller red dragon, apparently known as Leopold, sniffed his companion then wagged his tail excitedly as he introduced himself. Then he asked if he wanted to fight. Yuno turned him down without a second thought.

He jumped when Leopold gasped then turned towards him. Asta grunted softly then braced himself so he didn’t fall when the dragon nudged him with its snout. This guy had no concept of personal space whatsoever. It didn’t seem to matter who was watching.

“Lookit what I found! Doesn’t he smell weird!” Leopold said cheerily at the other red dragons.

“I just bathed this morning…” Asta muttered mostly to himself.

The slightly shorter of the enormous dragons bent down and sniffed him. It seemed intrigued as it looked him over and asked in a female voice, “A hybrid?”

“How rare,” The other dragon added, a male this time.

“Ohh yeahhh…” Asta snickered to himself. Sometimes he forgot that dragons could smell that little secret of his. At least they seemed to be intrigued by the idea, not offended. Dragons were always more open-minded about these things than humans in his experience. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled as he said, “I’ve got a bit of shadow dragon blood in my veins.”

“Really!” Leopold exclaimed as he turned back towards him. His green eyes sparkled with his excitement and he was in Asta’s personal space as he sniffed him curiously once again. He only stopped when there was a soft growl behind him.

Asta and Leopold both turned towards the sound at the same time. They watched wind swirl around Yuno as his power flared up. Clearly he didn’t approve of the situation.

“You’ll have to forgive our little brother. He’s still young and a bit aloof about the ways of the world.” The male dragon explained. If that bothered Leopold, he didn’t let it show. He simply continued to sniff and nudge Asta playfully to get his attention.

Asta immediately did his best to calm the situation. Of course it wasn’t easy with his apparent new friend Leopold being so curious and happy-go-lucky about everything. Eventually things managed to calm down and the dragon gave him a bit of space. Both he and Yuno were invited to dine with the Vermillions as their guests. That was certainly a dinner he’d never forget as he’d been squished between the overly possessive Yuno who kept inching closer to him and a terribly aloof Leopold that wasn’t aware of the concept of personal space. He hadn’t been able to eat a thing.

Asta smirked to himself as the memory replayed in his head. He watched the lion cloud above him continue to float by carefreely. That wasn’t even the crazy part of the story. After he and Yuno finally left that town they were exhausted. The whole lot of those dragons were intense. They were nice enough, but it took a lot of energy to deal with them. As Asta and Yuno continued on their journey they couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that they were being watched.

Neither of them was prepared to be accosted from behind by an enthusiastic red dragon. It was clear that Yuno was ready to fight his way out of whatever situation they’d gotten themselves into. Asta quickly realized that he’d never seen anyone as giddy as the red dragon before. He clearly meant them no harm. It was after he got Yuno to stand down and asked Leopold what he was doing so far from the town that the two of them got some shocking news.

_“I’m coming with you, of course! You’re my rivals!”_

After a bit of a one-sided argument, they finally realized there wasn’t a thing they could say to deter the fire dragon. His mind was made up and evidently that was that. Thus started the very rocky beginnings of the three of them traveling together. It was clear right from the start that Leopold was very touchy-feely. He was a hands-on kind of guy that didn’t shy away from showing affection.

This did not sit well with Yuno. Especially not when Leopold was all clingy with Asta. They’d gotten into their fair share of fights because of it, which Leopold honestly thought were all in good fun. He was as aloof to being a third wheel as he was genuine. Honestly, it was rather endearing. At least it was to Asta. It wasn’t a shared feeling.

Leopold was so curious about nearly everything. Especially why Yuno preferred to be in his human form all the time. He never really saw his dragon form unless they fought. The fact that he’d grown up among humans was fascinating to Leopold no matter how many times Asta explained it. That made him even more curious about the guy. It was like he didn’t even see the disapproving glares or hear the soft growls when he got too close.

Months of the uninvited chaos went by before Yuno finally couldn’t take it anymore. After they made camp for the night and Leopold wandered off for some firewood, he pulled Asta aside and told him that they needed to send the fire dragon back home. He explained that the redhead simply didn’t fit in with them and he never would. They were better off when it was just the two of them. A twig snapped behind them and alerted them of another’s presence. They both turned towards the sound just in time to watch Leopold flee the scene in his human form.

“It’s probably for the best,” Yuno said haughtily.

Asta frowned to himself and balled his hands into fists. He glared at the ground as he replied, “How can you even say that, Yuno? You sound exactly like the kids from the orphanage right now. The ones that I defended you from since the day we met because no matter what you deserved a place where you felt like you belonged.”

“Asta… that’s not what I…” Yuno’s voice trailed off as he realized his companion was right. He didn’t like the idea that he could ever be like those kids.

Asta turned his back to Yuno and shook his head. His voice was uncharacteristically soft as he grumbled, “I’m not going to tell you to go after him. That has to be a decision you make on your own otherwise it’d be pointless. It’s up to you to decide what kind of person you want to be.” After that he’d left Yuno standing there to think about his next move.

While Asta hadn’t been present for the next part, he knew exactly what had happened since Leopold talked about it in great detail afterwards. As it turned out, Yuno wasn’t as cold hearted as he liked others to believe. Asta knew this, of course, but sometimes it felt like Yuno himself forgot it. That being said, sometime in the next few moments as he stood there all alone Yuno experienced a much-needed epiphany. He hurried off in the direction that Leopold had gone.

Yuno finally caught up with him in a clearing where the trees separated enough to give them an unobstructed view of the sky. He stood there for a moment as he watched Leopold stare up at it. He seemed lost in thought and that was a rare enough occurrence to give Yuno pause when it came to interrupting him. It was only when he watched a tear glisten as it slid down his cheek that he could finally bring himself to make his presence known. Yuno cleared his throat.

Leopold looked in his direction then gasped and immediately turned away. He cleared his cheeks of any evidence then apologized under his breath and started to walk off. He didn’t spare the amber-eyed man another glance.

Yuno wasn’t quite sure what else he could do so he just started to speak his mind. “Listen, Leo, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said any of that back there. I guess I’ve been a bit frustrated lately.”

Leopold paused and bowed his head. He balled his hands into fists and mumbled, “I know I’m a bit too intense for some people to handle. My whole family is. I guess I thought it’d be nice to spend time with others my age… but you never wanted me around in the first place. So we never had a chance at a normal friendship. I get it. Sorry to be such a thorn in your side for so long.”

Yuno reached for him and said, “Leo, wait, I– _ah_!”

“What is it?” Leopold spun on his heels then yelped when he saw an arrow sticking out of Yuno’s right shoulder. He hurried to inspect it and paused when a familiar scent wafted towards him. He gasped and reached out to catch Yuno when he wobbled on his feet. He knew exactly what this was. He squeezed Yuno as he looked around them for any sign of the attacker.

Leopold’s voice was a low growl as he explained, “The tip of the arrowhead was coated. It’s a fast-acting drug used to knock out dragons so they’re easier to capture.”

Yuno squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. His breathing was labored and he could actually feel his senses begin to numb. This was bad. His eyes snapped open, he grabbed Leopold’s collar, and looked him right in his eyes as he growled, “Leave me here. Go get Asta to safety.”

Leopold’s eyes widened. He shook his head and shrieked, “What are you talking about? I can’t do that!”

“He may not look like a dragon but if he was seen traveling with us, he could still be targeted! So go!” Yuno’s grip on the redhead loosened and his knees gave out. He collapsed to the ground and panted softly as his vision blurred. If this drug could take down a full-blooded dragon then a half-blooded one stood no chance.

Leopold’s brow knitted together and he gritted his teeth. He didn’t even try to keep his voice down as he yelled, “You may not like the sound of it, Yuno, but I actually consider us to be friends! I’d never abandon a friend in their hour of need! You, me, and Asta will all get out of this mess together!”

Yuno would later go on to describe what happened next as ‘completely and utterly unnecessary, if not mildly impressive’. Asta smiled to himself as he recalled the stubborn look upon Yuno’s face when he’d said that. It was clear that he’d been more than mildly impressed by the way that Leopold shifted into his dragon form and blew a ferocious breath of fire that resulted in a wall of flames around them. Then he scooped Yuno up and took to the sky.

Asta hadn’t even had a chance to squeak when he heard the redhead call out to him. He looked up and made a guttural noise when he was scooped off his feet then taken away. He recalled yelling about an explanation but not getting one from either of them. It wasn’t until they landed about twenty minutes later and Leopold hastily explained the situation that he finally understood.

He was sure to pat the dragon on the snout and tell him he’d done well. Then Asta got to work making Yuno comfortable at what would be their new camp for the evening. He told Leopold that there was a change of clothes he could use in the bag on the ground. Luckily Asta had been wearing it when he’d been snatched.

Leopold went and shifted then struggled to get dressed. Grumbles and soft curses filled the air. He really didn’t care for human clothing. After that he helped Asta tend to Yuno. They made sure to remove the arrow from his arm then bandage his wound. Once that was finished Leopold nodded and said, “He’ll be just fine after some rest.”

“That’s a relief,” Asta sighed.

Leopold hummed in agreement. His gaze shifted to the ground and he muttered, “I guess that means it’s time for me to leave.”

“Leo…” Asta’s voice trailed off. He didn’t know what to say if the two of them hadn’t actually made up before the chaos started. It wasn’t his place to try and fix things. He frowned to himself as he weighed his options.

“It’s all right, you don’t have to say anything,” Leopold assured him. He stood up then tousled Asta’s already messy hair. He forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and added, “I know I cramp your style. I’ll go home. Thanks for putting up with me for so long.”

Leopold took a single step then stopped. He looked down at the white tail wrapped around his ankle then turned towards Yuno and blinked. It looked like it was quite a strain on him to speak but he finally managed to mutter, “Don’t… go…”

“But I –”

“Please…” It was the last thing Yuno managed to whisper before he passed out once more.

“You heard the dragon!” Asta smiled and pat the free spot next to himself. He grinned when Leopold’s genuine smile finally reached his eyes and he sat down next to him.

And the rest was history. Perhaps it’d be more accurate to say the rest was a big bundle of chaos that they all thrived off of. Asta did his best not to laugh at their past selves. What children. Once Yuno finally realized that it was all right to let others in sometimes, his and Leopold’s friendship blossomed in record time. Asta couldn’t have been happier to finally see the two of them getting along. Everything that happened from there had been inevitable, he supposed.

Two and a half years later and they were still traveling together. They'd also been dating for just over two of those. There was a pretty funny story behind their first kiss too but that’d have to wait for a different trip down memory lane. He smiled as he heard the return of his two favorite dragons.

Asta turned towards the sound just in time for an extremely large animal to land near his head. It was nearly three times the size of him. He yelped and bolted upright then shrieked, “What’s that!”

“A mega boar!” Leopold exclaimed. He grinned proudly and his tail swayed behind him with his excitement.

“It dwarfs that regular boar of yours,” Yuno huffed with a smug look upon his face. His eyes shined with what could only be described as an incredible sense of triumph.

“No way! You two were supposed to catch separate animals!” Asta yelled.

“You never specified that,” Yuno replied without missing a beat. Leopold snickered softly next to him. The two of them simply stood there and grinned at him.

Any other time Asta would’ve jumped at the chance to start some argument about the rules. After his little trip down memory lane, however, he simply didn’t feel up to it. He smirked then huffed to himself and fell back onto the soft grass. His voice was surprisingly calm as he said, “Yeah, fine, you cheaters win. I’ll beat you at the next best thing…”

“What would that be?” Yuno had to ask.

Asta pointed up at the sky and declared, “Cloud-gazing!”

“You can’t win at tha–” Before Yuno even finished the thought Leopold plopped down onto the grass next to Asta and pointed upwards as well. The pair immediately began to call out what they thought each passing cloud looked like. From what Yuno could gather, it seemed like the first person to name the cloud won. In that case, he could absolutely beat them at their silly game. He joined the pair on the ground and quickly got into the flow of the contest.

Asta took the lead in the game. He had quite the imagination when it came to gazing at the sky. He stopped briefly to listen to Leopold and Yuno. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself. They both turned towards him and asked what was so funny. “Oh, nothing. I’m just glad things turned out this way.”

“Sappy moment!” Leopold exclaimed. He rolled over and kissed then nuzzled Asta’s cheek. The both of them laughed about it. Then they turned and blinked at Yuno.

“What?” Yuno grunted. The blinking continued. He blinked right back. It was a solid twenty-five seconds of this little blink-off before Yuno finally shook his head then sighed, “If you two are done with your sappy moment, the meat still needs to be eaten.”

Leopold bolted upright and yelled, “I’ll cook it!”

“No!” Asta and Yuno both exclaimed as they sat up simultaneously and moved to stop him. There was a bit of a confusing struggle and the three of them ended up rolling around and tumbling down a little hill. When it was finally over Asta looked up to find that Leopold had them both pinned. He wasn’t sure how that had even happened. Such was the chaos of their lives. The redhead smiled from ear to ear.

“I win! That means I get to cook!” Leopold kissed them each on the forehead then leaped to his feet. He ran back towards where they’d left the carcass as he laughed loudly.

“Leoooo!” Asta called after him then scrambled to his feet.

“Don’t worry, Asta. He won’t reach the meat.” Yuno stood and held his right arm out as far as it would go. He had a serious expression on his face as he said, “wind magic.”

Suddenly Leopold ran into… well, nothing. A wall of air blocked his path. He rubbed his nose then banged on the invisible wall a few times. He turned towards his boyfriends and pouted. Two could play at the magic game. He held out his right arm and shot a column of fire right at Yuno in response.

Asta yelped and sliced through the attack with his short sword. Thank goodness for his fast reflexes. That was a close one. He realized that he might’ve spoken a bit too soon when both of his boyfriend shifted into their dragon forms. He was knocked to the ground with the force of the wind from their wings as they took to the sky and battled. He stood up, dusted himself off, then waved his fist at the pair of dragons and yelled, “You two better cut it out! Don’t make me come up there!”

When he received no response and the battle above continued he huffed to himself. All right. They asked for it. Asta hurried over to where he’d left his broadsword on the grass earlier. He picked it up and held it so he placed both hands upon it. Normally he’d let them fight until they tired themselves out. Not today. He ignored the sounds above and shut his eyes so he could focus on awakening his inner self. He just needed to concentrate. He called upon the shadow dragon blood coursing through him. He demanded that it activate.

Asta’s eyes snapped open when he felt the shadow wash over him. The right side of his hair darkened until it was pitch black. A curved, shadowy horn protruded from that side of his head. His right eye glowed a menacing red. Dark marks appeared along that side of his body as did a single wing made of the blackest shadow. This was as close to a dragon transformation as he’d ever get, and that was just fine.

It gave him enough of a power boost to keep up with the other two in a situation like this. Though he didn’t use it very often because it took quite a toll on him. The first time he saw it Leopold had affectionately coined it his ‘Black Asta’ mode. He looked up at the unsuspected dragons and a devilish grin spread across his face. He bent his knees then took to the sky at a blinding speed. Both Yuno and Leopold were in for quite the surprise. He couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when he beat them at their own game.

**Author's Note:**

> I love these threeee <3
> 
> Fantasy aus are so my favorite thing too ugh. it was inevitable that id write em one hehe
> 
> Asta and Leo’s meeting being a whole confusing mess for him is just the greatest thing and I think about the fact that its canon A LOT XD
> 
> can you just imagine leo in his dragon form and the other two cuddled up to him cause hes WARMMMMM. thats how they fell asleep TuT
> 
> makes you wonder how many times asta has woken up squished under a dragon leg or tail tho. rip lmao


End file.
